2 Samuel 17:12

2 Samuel 17:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.
• New International Version (NIV)Then we will attack him wherever he may be found, and we will fall on him as dew settles on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So we shall come upon him in some place where he is to be found, and we shall light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So we will come upon him in some place where he may be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls on the ground. And of him and all the men who are with him there shall not be left so much as one.

Context of 2 Samuel 17:12

10And even the one who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will completely despair; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men. 11But I advise that all Israel be fully gathered to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, like the sand that is by the sea in abundance; and that you personally go into battle. Then we will come to him in one of the places where he can be found, and we will fall on him just as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left. 13And if he withdraws into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the valley until not even a pebble is found there.” 14Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had ordained to foil the good advice of Ahithophel, in order for the Lord to bring disaster on Absalom.

2 Samuel 17:12 word by word

וּבָ֣אנוּ אֵלָ֗יו בְּאַחַ֤ד הַמְּקוֹמֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִמְצָ֣א שָׁ֔ם וְנַ֣חְנוּ עָלָ֔יו כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יִפֹּ֥ל הַטַּ֖ל עַל־הָאֲדָמָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־נ֥וֹתַר בּ֛וֹ וּבְכָל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־אִתּ֖וֹ גַּם־אֶחָֽד׃Read the interlinear

• Then we will comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to him in oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• of the placesמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• whereאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• whereשָׁםshâm · thereH8033
• he can be foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• fallנוּחַnûach · to restH5117
• the dewטַלţal · dewH2919
• fallsנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• on the groundאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
• and of him and of allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• are with him, not evenגַּםgam · alsoH1571
• will be leftיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 17:12

• 1 Samuel 23:23So look, and learn about all the hiding places where he keeps himself hidden, and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”
• 1 Kings 20:10Ben-hadad sent word to him and said, “May the gods do so to me and more so, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me.”
• 2 Kings 18:23Now then, come make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to put riders on them!
• 2 Kings 19:24I dug wells and drank foreign waters, And with the soles of my feet I dried up All the streams of Egypt.”
• Isaiah 10:13For he has said, “By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this, Because I have understanding; And I removed the boundaries of the peoples And plundered their treasures, And like a powerful man I brought down their inhabitants,
• Obadiah 1:3The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, The one who lives in the clefts of the rock, On the height of his dwelling place, Who says in his heart, ‘Who will bring me down to earth?’

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17:12

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12As the dew - Like the drops of dew, in the vast number of our host, and in our irresistible and unavoidable descent upon our enemies.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-14Ahithophel advised a quick surprise attack against David with a small force of 12,000 men (2 Samuel 17:1). This plan would give David no time to prepare or organize a defense. David’s double agent, Hushai, gave different advice. He urged Absalom to wait and gather the entire army of Israel before attacking (2 Samuel 17:11). This plan promised a much larger force and would prevent David from using guerrilla tactics (small surprise attacks). Because the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground--No image could have symbolized the sudden onset of an enemy so graphically to an Oriental mind as the silent, irresistible, and rapid descent of this natural moisture on every field and blade of grass.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 17:12

• Ahithophel
• Armies
• Council
• Dew
• Diplomacy
• Falsehood
• Friendship
• Spies
• Strategy
• Symbols and Similitudes
• War

In the dictionaries

• Ahithophel
• Dew
• Instead
• Bible, the
• Botany
• David
• Hushai
• Israel, History of
• Joab
• Samuel, Books of

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings